Organic farmers reject health study
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ORGANIC farmers in Ireland yesterday disputed a major UK study which found no nutritional or health benefits in organic food, writes Aideen Sheehan.
But the Food Safety Authority of Ireland said the study appeared to "draw a line in the sand" and confirmed their long-standing view that there was no scientific evidence of nutritional benefits in organic food.
The authority welcomed the Food Standards Agency report which reviewed scientific papers published over 50 years.
"It has been our position that there is no scientific evidence of added nutritional benefits in organic food, and this wide-ranging review of all the evidence appears to draw a line in the sand on the matter," a spokesperson said.
"Our advice to people is that they should be eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, but it doesn't matter if it is conventional or organic."
The Irish Organic Farmers and Growers Association (IOFGA), however, queried the scope of the report and said that it missed the bigger picture.
It said that it excluded a study from Newcastle University last year that found organic vegetables contained more anti-oxidants and vitamins, and organic milk contained more Omega 3 than conventional products.
"Nutrition is only one reason why people eat organic food. Other reasons include the fact that organic food does not contain pesticide residues and that organic food comes from a more sustainable method of farming," said IOFGA chairwoman Kate Carmody.
